In My Time of Need
by ImaginaryAngel2014
Summary: Kiara Braxton has scars from the past that run deeper than anyone truly knows, but she's trying to get her life back on track with the help of her brothers... can she truly get over what has happened to her or are they all fighting a losing battle... Only time will tell! Warning: This story will contain self harm and attempted suicide, please don't read if that stuff bothers you
1. Chapter 1

Kiara knew that the beach was a good place to start her search for her brothers, since surfing was something she knew they loved, and she had already tried the house. She was about to give up, when she spotted Heath making his way out of the water, and digging his surf board into the sand.

Feeling suddenly nervous she froze and stood staring at him, unsure whether she should approach him or not, but that question was soon answered when she heard her name being called.

"Kiara?" Heath called. Finally meeting Heath's gaze, Kiara gave him a small smile and felt relieved when he returned it, making his way towards her cautiously. Kiara covered the rest of the distance at a run, and threw herself into Heath's arms, which he automatically wrapped around her tightly, "What are you doing here kiddo?"

"I got released from the hospital, and wanted to see my brothers," Kiara replied quietly looking up at Heath who squeezed her a little tighter before pulling away.

"Brax and Kyle are at Angelo's dealing with a delivery, and Casey is over at the gym," Heath said, "Come on, I'll take you up there to see them."

Heath grabbed his surfboard, wrapping his free arm around Kiara's shoulders, and leading her up the beach. Waiting for Heath by the door to Angelo's, Kiara followed him inside, and smiled when she spotted her oldest brother.

"You come to lend us a hand?" Brax asked glancing over at Heath who laughed.

"Not likely," Heath responded rolling his eyes, "I brought someone to see you actually."

Kiara stepped out from behind Heath, watching as a smile spread across Brax's face, and he made his way out from behind the bar. It had been nearly a year since she had seen Brax or any of them properly, and she couldn't help the tears that rolled down her face, as Brax pulled her into a hug.

"Brax, I've finished with the boxes in the storage room," Kyle shouted out as he entered the room and froze, "Kiara?"

"Hey Kyle," Kiara mumbled pulling away from Brax to hug him.

"Is mum not with you?" Brax inquired with a frown.

"No, she doesn't even know I got discharged," Kiara admitted as she turned to look at Brax, "I need to talk to you about maybe staying with you guys for a while."

"Things not working out at mums?" Heath added.

"Things are fine I guess… she's not really there half the time, and when she is she's drunk," Kiara mumbled, "That's the problem."

"What do you mean?" Brax said.

"I need to have someone around me, to be there in case I try anything again, and at mums I haven't got anyone to go to if I need to talk."

"I get that," Brax empathized knowing exactly what their mum was like, "I'll get her here, and we'll sort it out."

Brax got straight on the phone, and Heath grabbed Kiara a coke from behind the bar, opening himself a beer. Kyle got back to work while they waited, and Kiara felt the nerves return. It was an hour before Cheryl arrived, drunk as usual and looking less than happy, as she entered the restaurant.

"What was so important that you had to drag me all the way out here Darryl?" Cheryl snapped finally spotting Kiara, "Oh… I see they finally let you out of the nut house."

"She was in a hospital," Heath corrected as anger flashed in his eyes.

"Look mum, I think it'll be best for Kiara to come live with us for a while," Brax stated moving to stand beside Kiara, "She needs to be around people that she feels she can talk to if need be, and we can't be there for her all the time with her in Mangrove and us here."

"Are you saying that I am not capable of caring for my own child Darryl?"

"I'm saying that Kiara needs us, and being here might do her some good."

"There's no cure for crazy Darryl," Cheryl said causing Brax to tense, "Your sister is sick in the head, and nobody can fix that… especially no doctor or pill."

Kiara lowered her gaze to the ground, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks, and hastily wiped them away. Brax placed his hand comfortingly on her back, and glared at Cheryl who simply rolled her eyes.

"At least she is trying to sort it out, did you sign her into that hospital?" Heath asked his tone laced with anger, "No… Kiara did it herself, and you didn't even notice she was gone until I told you where she was."

"This is all my fault now I see," Cheryl argued ignoring the disbelief on Brax's face, "Your sister is out of control, but if you want to be responsible for her, then go right ahead and take her off my hands."

"I've been responsible for her, Casey and Heath since they were little anyway," Brax added, "We'll be over to collect her things later on, I've got some things to finish here first."

"Fine, I'll have it all ready and waiting," Cheryl replied storming out and allowing the door to slam behind her.

"Heath, why don't you take Kiara to the diner, and get her something to eat," Brax suggested turning to Kiara, "I'll finish up here and then we'll go sort out your things."

"Come on kiddo, lets go get you some decent food," Heath said putting his arm back around her shoulders and leading her towards the door.

"Kiara?" Brax called waiting for her to look back at him, "It's good to have you home."


	2. Chapter 2

Kiara stayed close to Heath as they entered a nice looking Diner, looking around and smiling a little when the smell of pancakes hit her nose. With Heath's arm still wrapped around her shoulders protectively, they approached the counter and were greeted by a brunette haired woman.

"What can I get you Heath?"

"Just a coffee for me please Leah," Heath said looking down at Kiara, "What do you want kiddo?"

"Can I just have some pancakes, and a glass of orange juice please?"

"Sure thing, why don't you both sit down and I'll bring it over."

Finding a table, they sat down and Kiara looked around, finally settling on staring at her hands. It was strange having more to look at than four walls, and the hospital garden, which wasn't really anything special.

Leah soon brought over their order, and Kiara sat staring at the plate for a few seconds, before hesitantly picking up her fork. She finished eating, and they headed down to the beach, sitting on the sand looking out over the water.

"We'll have to get you back out on the waves," Heath suggested motioning towards the sea with his head.

"I've missed the water," Kiara mumbled glancing over at Heath who was watching her.

"Of course you did, you're a Braxton… the ocean is in our blood," Heath added getting up, "We better go see if Brax is ready to take you to get your stuff."

Kiara stood up, looking out at the sea for a few seconds longer, before heading back up the beach and to Angelo's. Brax was just finishing up behind the bar when they arrived, looking up as the door closed behind them and he grabbed his keys.

"You ready to go?" Brax asked looking at Kiara who nodded in response, "Kyle."

"Yeah," Kyle replied emerging from the kitchen.

"I'm taking Kiara to get her stuff, so I'm leaving you to open up and I'll be back as soon as I'm finished," Brax told him throwing a different set of keys at Kyle, who caught them and nodded.

Following Brax and Heath out of the restaurant, Kiara climbed into Brax's Ute, watching Brax speak to Heath before getting in the drivers seat. The drive to Mangrove River was quiet, and before Kiara knew it they were pulling up outside their mums house.

They both got out, and Brax waited until Kiara was beside him, before making his way inside. As usual Cheryl was drinking, and so Kiara went straight to her bedroom, grabbing a few things that her mum hadn't packed.

Returning to where Brax was waiting, Kiara threw her backpack over her shoulders, and then went to the cupboard where she kept her meds.

"I don't know why you bother taking them," Cheryl mumbled as Kiara put the medication into one of the duffel bags by the front door, "They don't help."

"Ever think that maybe you're not helping," Brax replied glaring at Cheryl, "You've always been the same, more interested in the drink and drugs, rather than your kids."

"You're hardly a saint Darryl," Cheryl snapped her words slurred slightly.

"At least I was there," Brax shouted causing Kiara to flinch a little, "Have you got everything Kiara?"

"Yeah," Kiara whispered watching as Brax picked up the duffel bags and walked out with Kiara close behind him.

As they drove back, Kiara kept glancing over at Brax, and finally spoke as he pulled the truck up in front of a house.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."

"You didn't cause any of this Kiara," Brax replied turning to look at her, "The truth is, I should have stepped in and moved you in with us as soon as we found out that you weren't happy."

"I should have told you, instead of…" Kiara mumbled cutting off mid sentence.

"Listen to me, forget about all that," Brax said, "All I care about right now is getting you back on track with your life."

"Do you really think I can do it?"

"You can do it, and when you find it hard or you don't know what to do, you have four awesome brothers there to help you out."

Kiara smiled, retrieving her backpack from by her feet, and climbing out the car as Heath came out to help with the bags. As soon as she walked through the front door, she was pulled into a tight hug and smiled, knowing that it was Casey.

"I'm glad you're home," Casey stated as he let her go.

"It's good to be home."

"I need to get back to the restaurant, so I'm going to leave you with Dumb and Dumber here, and I'll see you later," Brax added.

Kiara nodded, as Brax hugged her and kissed her head, before making his way back out the front door. Heath showed her to her room, which she would be sharing with Kyle for the time being, and left her alone to sort out her things.

Changing into her pyjamas, Kiara left her stuff as it was, and went out into the living room to join Heath on the sofa. Curling into his side, she made herself comfortable, and watched the television in silence. Heath placed his arm around her, and it wasn't long before she had let herself drift off to sleep.

It was dark when she woke up, the sound of the front door closing pulling her from her restless sleep, and sending panic through her.

"It's just me," Brax whispered placing his hand on Kiara's shoulder to reassure her.

"Why are you home so late?" Kiara asked rubbing her eyes and watching as Brax limped into the kitchen.

Following him, Kiara was shocked to see that he had been beaten up, and couldn't hold back the small gasp when he turned towards her. Making her way over to him, Kiara took the first aid kit from his hands, and motioned for him to sit down.

"I'm okay," Brax said when Kiara glanced up at him for the third time.

"I know," Kiara replied with a small smile, "It's just been a while since I've seen you beat up like this."

They both fell silent as Kiara cleaned him up, clearing up once she had finished and making Brax a cup of coffee, which he took with a muttered thank you.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

**_I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read this and who have left reviews... Kiara's character is a new experience for me because I've never written anything where the main Character is as broken as her, but I'm hoping to do her proud and keep the Braxton's as in character as possible... They're going to struggle but we'll have to see where the story leads them :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

Kiara had been living with her brothers for nearly three weeks, and she was slowly beginning to settle in, but her depression was still bad. She pretended everyday that she okay, plastering a fake smile on her face, and no matter how many times she was asked if she was okay she replied with I'm fine.

The truth was that she wasn't okay, and she honestly didn't know if she ever would be, but that wasn't something she was going to say out loud. She couldn't see a future for herself, all she saw was a dark, inescapable void, and that scared her.

Lying on the floor looking up at the ceiling, Kiara let her mind wander back to when she was younger, and wondered why she couldn't go back to the girl who had loved life. Checking her phone for the hundredth time, she saw that it was now seven o'clock and so abandoning the hope of getting some sleep, she headed into the kitchen to make her brothers breakfast.

Brax joined her twenty minutes later, pouring himself a cup of coffee and leaning against the counter, watching Kiara cook with a worried look on his face. Kiara knew her brothers were worried about her, after all they weren't blind or stupid, and didn't take a rocket scientist to notice that she was distant.

"I was thinking," Brax said after a few minutes of silence, "Why don't you come help out at the restaurant later?"

"Sure," Kiara replied although the thought of being around people she didn't know made her freak out internally.

"I thought it would give you something to concentrate on, and it'll get you out of the house for a bit," Brax added.

"What time do you want me ready for?" Kiara asked placing some food on two plates and putting them on the table.

"About seven."

"That sounds good," Kiara added eating her breakfast in silence.

Once Kiara had finished eating, she headed off to shower and get ready for the day ahead, not that she actually had anything planned. Returning to the kitchen, Kiara found Casey, Kyle and Heath digging into their breakfast.

"What are your plans for today peanut?" Heath asked chuckling when Kiara rolled her eyes at the mention of her childhood nickname.

"I don't know… I might just stay here and read, or something," Kiara replied pouring herself some more coffee.

"Why don't you come down to the beach and watch me surf?" Heath suggested through a mouthful of food.

"Sure."

Half an hour later they headed out the front door, making their way towards the beach, and the spot where Heath liked to surf. With her shoes in hand, Kiara followed Heath along the sand and took a seat when he stopped, watching as he jogged towards the water.

She had always loved watching her brother's surf, there was a time that she had loved to surf just as much as them, but that had changed. Surfing used to be her escape from life, and just like her brother's she had been a natural, but now… even the thought of being out on the waves scared her.

Kiara turned her gaze down the beach as she heard laughter coming towards her, and smiled when she spotted Casey. Standing up, she couldn't help laughing as Casey ran towards her and pulled her into a hug, spinning her round.

"Hey," Casey said grinning at Kiara who smiled back, "Ruby, Romeo, I'd like you to meet my little sister Kiara."

"It's nice to meet you," Romeo stated as Kiara gave them a small wave, which Ruby returned.

"We're heading to the surf club to play some pool and hang out, do you want to come?" Casey inquired glancing over towards the sea where Heath was just emerging.

"I might meet you there in a little while," Kiara mumbled earning a nod from Casey before he headed up the beach with Ruby and Romeo in tow.

x-x-x

Entering the surf club, Casey grabbed them all a coke, joining Ruby and Romeo at the pool table where they had already started the first game. He had hoped that Kiara would join them, so that he could hangout with her for a while, and introduce her to his friends properly.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Ruby said as she took her drink from him.

"I haven't seen her for a while, when I moved here with Brax and Heath, Kiara stayed in Mangrove with our mum," Casey explained.

"Didn't you visit her?" Romeo added as Ruby took her shot.

"Kiara went through some stuff, and it meant that seeing her was hard," Casey stated, "She's been through a lot."

x-x-x

Kiara headed to the surf club an hour later, finding Casey at the pool table with his friends, and approaching them nervously. As soon as Casey spotted her, he smiled and waited for her to reach them, before pulling her into a hug.

Once they had finished playing pool it was lunchtime, and they headed over to the diner, where Brax was already eating with a couple of the Riverboys that Kiara recognised.

"What do you want Kia?" Casey asked from his position beside her.

"Can I have a hamburger with salad and a chocolate milkshake please," Kiara stated with a small smile.

"Of course you can darl," The woman behind the counter replied, "Take a seat you lot and I'll bring it over when it's ready."

As they headed over to an empty table, Kiara couldn't help watching Brax and wondering what they were talking about. When their dad had left, Brax had stepped up and did what he could to keep his siblings out of trouble, which had meant that he had usually ended up in trouble one way or another.

Sitting down beside Romeo, Kiara pulled her attention away from her oldest brother and turned her focus to the conversation in front of her. Kiara glanced around at the other people in the diner, lowering her gaze and staring at the table, when she realised that some were staring at her.

All she wanted to do was run and not stop until her legs couldn't carry her any further, but she wouldn't do that to Casey. Closing her eyes tight, Kiara took a deep breath and pushed away her negative thoughts just like she had been taught… unfortunately that exercise didn't get rid of people as much as Kiara wished it did.

"Braxton," Someone growled from somewhere behind her and her eyes automatically snapped to Brax.

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Thanks for reading :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

Brax looked up to find Jake Pirovic standing over him and put his fork down on his plate, knowing that things could get ugly fast.

"What do you want Pirovic?" Brax asked.

"Tell your brother to back off," Jake replied glaring down at Brax.

"Which brother would that be?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Jake stated his fists balled at his sides as he continued, "Get your brother under control, or your family won't know what hit them and that includes your sweet little sister… you know she's a pretty little thing."

Brax jumped to his feet and shoved Jake back, as the two River Boys sitting with him grabbed him and held him back.

"Go anywhere near my sister and I'll come for you," Brax threatened causing Jake to laugh.

"Remember what I said Braxton… I'll be seeing you around," Jake added glancing over at Kiara who was watching them closely.

As Jake left, Brax pushed the River Boys off him and sat back down to finish his food. He didn't know what Heath was thinking messing with the Pirovic gang or even if he was thinking, but either way nobody threatened his family.

x-x-x

Kiara watched as the other guy left and turned her attention back to the group, who were all staring over at Brax. She had seen Brax angry plenty of times and it had been a while since she had been scared of him, but this time was different… this time there was something about his tone that didn't sit right.

"Kiara, how long are you staying?" Romeo asked drawing Ruby and Casey's attention away from Brax.

"Hopefully for good or at least for a while anyway," Kiara replied earning a smile from Casey.

"So how old are you?"

"I'm seventeen… in my last year at school."

"Are you planning on going back?" Ruby added.

"I'm hoping to go and either finish my final year or do it again… I missed a lot of school when I was in Mangrove," Kiara explained.

"You should get Brax to talk to Mrs Palmer… she's the Principal at Summer Bay High," Casey suggested earning a nod from Kiara.

"I'll talk to Brax about it later."

Kiara hung out for another hour, before heading home and sitting in the kitchen reading. Reading was a good way for her to escape, to experience the magic of other worlds and for a while it enabled her to forget her problems.

It was half six when Kiara headed over to Angelo's, taking a deep breath before walking in and smiling at Brax as she approached him.

"Hey you," Brax said returning the smile and pulling her into a hug, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kiara replied although she was nervous about the night ahead.

"We'll start you off with something simple," Brax told her handing over a clip board and pen, "Stock check… all you have to do is find what's on the list and make sure that the stock we have matches the amount shown in the column beside it."

"Brax, I know what stock check is," Kiara stated causing Brax to roll his eyes.

"Alright smartass, come find me once you've finished."

"Will do… Brax?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we talk later… when you're not busy?" Kiara asked.

"Of course, now get to work," Brax ordered with a grin as he winked at her and left.

It took Kiara two hours to complete the stock check and once she had finished, she headed out to the bar where Brax was rushing around making drinks.

"Done," Kiara told him placing the clipboard on the counter and sitting on one of the tall stools, "What do you need me to do now?"

"Could you help me out behind here?" Brax inquired as he grabbed two beers and placed them on a tray.

"Sure," Kiara replied stepping behind the bar and looking around.

"The orders are all here," Brax explained motioning to a stack of notes from the waitresses order books, "If you focus on the soft drinks, I'll handle the alcohol and hopefully that'll make things easier… it's never been this busy before."

Looking at the first two orders, Kiara memorised them and got to work, setting a good pace with Brax. By the end of the night things had quietened down and Kiara was sat at the bar, waiting for the restaurant to close.

Glancing towards the door as she heard it close, Kiara froze and stared as Brady made his way towards her. Brady had been in the hospital at the same time as Kiara and he was the last person she wanted to see, but she knew that he wouldn't just leave.

"Kiara," Brady said with a smile.

"What are you doing here Brady?" Kiara asked, "I thought you were supposed to be in the hospital for another six months."

"I got released early and thought I'd look you up, this place is nice… do you work here?"

"My brother owns it, I'm helping him out… why did you come here?" Kiara inquired looking over at Brax who was dealing with a customer.

"I already told you, I got released early and I came to see you," Brady replied glaring at Kiara.

Brady had a short temper and he had lashed out a few times at Kiara for no reason, but that wasn't the reason she was scared of him. He had a nasty side… a side that Kiara had been exposed to and it was something that sent genuine fear through her.

"Kiara, who's this?" Brax stated as he made his way over to them causing Kiara to relax a little.

"This is Brady, he was in the hospital with me… Brady this is my brother Brax."

Kiara looked at Brax as he shook Brady's hand, noticing the neutral expression on his face and knowing that he didn't like Brady.

x-x-x

Looking over towards Kiara, Brax spotted the young guy she was talking to and instantly got a bad feeling, but it was the look in Kiara's eyes that made him go over there.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**Thanks for reading :) As the story moves on you'll get a better look at Kiara's time in the hospital and other past events... is Brady going to cause trouble? And what is Heath up too?**_


	5. Chapter 5

Brady finally left but Brax didn't like the idea of him hanging around Kiara, and from what he saw shedidn't like it either. Locking up, Brax decided to ask Kiara about Brady and try to find out why she didn't like him.

The drive home was peaceful with Kiara spending the time staring out the window, and Brax left her to it. When they arrived home, Brax made them both a hot drink and joined Kiara at the kitchen table.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Brax asked remembering their earlier conversation.

"I was thinking about what I want to do and I kinda decided that I want to finish school," Kiara told him, "I know that I might have to repeat the whole year but I want to do it."

"That sounds like a great idea," Brax replied with a smile, "I'll have a word with principal Palmer tomorrow and see what I can sort out."

"Thanks Brax."

"Can I ask you something?" Brax added after a short silence.

"Of course," Kiara stated.

"What's the deal with Brady?"

x-x-x

_What's the deal with Brady? _Kiara had been expecting the question at some point and she knew that she had to tell Brax the truth, but that didn't make it any easier.

"He was in the hospital with me like I said," Kiara told him, "His parents had him admitted and it was obvious that he didn't want to be there, or didn't think he needed to be there."

"Why are you scared of him?"

"He's dangerous," Kiara said looking down at her now empty cup, "He has a nasty temper and gets violent when things don't go his way… I just don't like being around him."

"I know that there's more to it than that… but I'm not going to push you into telling me tonight," Brax stated, "You should get some sleep."

Kiara nodded putting her cup in the sink and heading to bed, leaving Brax alone to think.

_'The world seemed to go in slow motion and panic took over as Brady slammed her against the wall, his grip tight on her arms holding her in place._

_"I asked you a question," Brady shouted angrily, "Why were you staring at me?"_

_"I told you already, I wasn't looking at you or your food," Kiara replied her voice cracking as she spoke, "I was looking out the window."_

_"Don't lie to me… I saw you."_

_"I wasn't…" Kiara mumbled watching as Brady pulled back his fist and punched the wall next to her face'_

Waking up with a gasp, Kiara found that it was light outside and headed into the bathroom. Splashing cold water on her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and shook her head, making her way into the kitchen where Kyle was eating.

"Morning," Kyle mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"Morning," Kiara replied with a smile as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"I'm guessing you were having nightmares last night…" Kyle added looking at her concerned, "you were tossing and turning a lot."

"Did I keep you awake?"

"No, but if you want to talk about it you know I'm here for you."

"I know Ky," Kiara stated kissing his cheek and smiling at him.

Kiara had just sat down next to Kyle with a bowl of cereal, when Casey and Heath returned from surfing. Looking over at Heath, Kiara noticed that he was starting to get a black eye and worry washed over her.

She loved her brother, he was someone that she had always looked up to growing up but sometimes he didn't think before he acted and that scared her. Finishing her breakfast, Kiara got changed and was just about to head to the beach for a morning run, when someone knocked on the door.

Opening the door, she found Romeo standing on the doorstep and smiled.

"Hey," Kiara said.

"Hey, is Casey about?"

"Yeah… Casey," Kiara called, "Come in."

She let Romeo in and slipped on her trainers, before heading into the kitchen to let Heath know where she was going and grabbing her water bottle off the side. She had just stepped out the door when Romeo called her name and made his way over to where she now stood waiting.

"Want some company?"

"If you're sure you don't have anything better to do," Kiara replied feeling her stomach twist in excitement.

"Lets go… I'll take it slow, so you can keep up," Romeo added.

"Me keep up…" Kiara stated shaking her head, before taking off towards the beach and calling back over her shoulder, "I'll take it slow if you can't keep up."

Romeo laughed as he took off after her, falling into a steady pace beside her and running until they reached the beach. Dropping down onto the sand, Kiara drank some of her water and then offered the bottle to Romeo who took it with a grateful nod.

Looking out over the water, Kiara couldn't help laughing as Romeo bumped her shoulder and she chucked a handful of sand on his legs in retaliation. Glancing down the beach, her mood quickly changed and she stood up brushing herself off.

"Do you want to grab a milkshake at the diner?" Romeo asked as he stood up as well.

"Sounds good," Kiara replied.

Making their way towards the diner, they were stopped by Brady calling Kiara's name and as much as she really wanted to ignore him, she knew better.

"Where are you two heading?"

"Me and Romeo are going to get milkshakes," Kiara told him stepping closer to Romeo.

"Romeo huh?" Brady said glaring at Romeo.

"Yep," Kiara mumbled glancing up at Romeo, "I'll see you around."

Kiara turned away from Brady, following Romeo up to the diner and finding an empty table near the back. Noticing that Romeo's attention was on something by the door, Kiara turned round and spotted Brady standing in the doorway casually watching them.

"He's not your boyfriend right?" Romeo inquired causing Kiara to choke on her milkshake.

"No," Kiara stated.

"Good," Romeo replied with a smile and Kiara couldn't help smiling back.

They sat talking and joking for about an hour under the watchful eye of Brady, but Kiara wasn't going to let him win… not again.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**Thanks for reading guys... let me know what you think and I'll have another update for you soon :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

When Kiara arrived home, nobody was there and so she decided to watch a movie. She had been watching the movie for almost an hour, when someone knocked on the door and she went to answer it.

As soon as she saw Brady standing on the other side, she wished she had ignored it, but it was too late now.

"Hey Kia," Brady said with his usual smirk, "Are you going to let me in or leave me standing out here?"

"My brothers don't like strangers in the house when they're not here," Kiara replied.

"I'm not a stranger though," Brady added, taking a step forward, "Brax knows me and so do you… I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Brax doesn't know you that well," Kiara argued, as Brady stepped over the threshold pushing her backwards into the living room and closing the door.

"Thanks, I'd love to come in," Brady stated, closing the door and making himself comfortable on the sofa, "A drink would be nice too."

Not wanting to make him angry, Kiara made her way into the kitchen and poured him a glass of juice. As she handed Brady the glass, her phone chimed in her pocket and she pulled it out, opening the text message from Kyle.

_'Hey, I'm on my way home with Brax, do you want us to pick you up some lunch from the diner?'_

_'Not really hungry.'_

Knowing that Kyle and Brax would soon be home, Kiara allowed herself to relax just a little, listening out for the Ute pulling up. Kiara felt her nerves return as Brady stood up and walked towards her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Do I scare you?" Brady asked, as Kiara flinched under his touch.

"I…" Kiara mumbled, as the front door opened and Brax walked in with Kyle in tow.

"What's going on?" Brax inquired, glaring at Brady.

x-x-x

The first thing Brax saw when he walked through the door was Brady, the second was how tense Kiara was and finally he noticed Brady's hand on her shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Kiara stated, moving to stand beside Kyle, "Brady was just leaving."

"I was… things to do, people to see," Brady added with a false smile, "I'll see you tomorrow Kiara, I'm looking forward to our date."

Brady let himself out and Kiara relaxed as Kyle put his arm around her shoulders. Kiara knew that she would have to go out with Brady, unless something else came up before then and she really wished that it would.

"You're not seriously going on a date with that guy right?" Kyle asked, looking down at Kiara with a concerned look, "I don't know him but I don't like him."

"No, I'm hoping to have other plans," Kiara replied, glancing over at Brax who was putting away groceries.

"You do," Brax said, "You're working at the restaurant, I don't want you anywhere near him."

"I don't want to be anywhere near him, but he's everywhere," Kiara mumbled, wrapping her arm around Kyle's waist as he tightened his grip on her shoulder.

x-x-x

Waking up early, Kiara was already dressed and ready to go when Romeo arrived. They ran for almost an hour, before heading to the diner and grabbing breakfast with Casey.

"How was your run?" Casey inquired, as Kiara sat down in the seat beside him.

"It was good," Kiara replied, as Romeo joined them.

"What are you guys doing today?" Romeo added, as their food was brought over.

"I have a shift at the gym and then I'm hanging out with Rubes for a bit."

"I have nothing to do until seven o'clock," Kiara stated.

"Do you want to keep me company on the beach?" Romeo asked, "I'm on lifeguard duty and it gets boring after a while on my own."

"Sure."

"Let me go get changed and then I'll meet you at the surf club in about an hour," Romeo suggested as he finished his food, leaving when Kiara nodded.

Once Kiara had finished eating, she walked to the gym with Casey and hung out there until it was time to meet Romeo. Making her way to the surf club, Kiara couldn't help thinking about Brady and the trouble he was going to cause.

During her therapy sessions, she was told to think of the positive when facing something negative and she was trying… but nothing seemed to work. Romeo wasn't there when she arrived and so she took a seat on the floor, leaning back against the wall. Ten minutes later, Brady turned up and Kiara got to her feet.

"I'll pick you up at eight tonight," Brady told her, as Romeo walked around the corner.

"I'm working at the restaurant tonight," Kiara replied, "Brax needs me there and I can't cancel on him."

"So you're cancelling on me instead?"

"I can't cancel something that I never agreed to… you can't just walk in and tell me that I'm going on a date with you."

"Hey, you ready?" Romeo added, earning a glare from Brady.

"She's busy," Brady snapped, turning towards Romeo and stepping towards him threateningly.

"I'm ready," Kiara said, "Lets go."

Ignoring Brady's glares, Kiara followed Romeo to his lifeguard post and sat down beside him looking out over the sea. They spent the time talking about surfing and joking around, until Romeo's shift ended a few hours later.

x-x-x

Brax was sorting out a delivery with Kyle, when they heard the door open and close. Looking up, they saw Brady approaching the bar and stopped what they were doing.

"We're not open yet," Brax stated.

"I wanted to talk to you actually."

"Really?"

"Kiara told me that she has to work tonight and that she had to cancel our date… I was hoping that you could give her the night off."

"We're short handed and I need her here tonight," Brax told him, "Besides, I don't want you hanging around my sister and I suggest you take that as a warning."

Brax saw the flash of anger in Brady's eyes, before he turned around and left. Kiara was doing better and Brax wouldn't let anyone jeopardize the small steps of progress she had made.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**Thanks for reading :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

The restaurant was busy by the time Kiara arrived and she got straight to work behind the bar, helping Brax with the orders. Retrieving a tray of drinks from the counter, Kiara took them over to a group of customers and offered them a smile as she collected the empty glasses to make room on the table.

"We have a group of fifteen coming in half an hour and I want you to look after them," Brax told her as she headed back to the bar, "Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yeah," Kiara replied with a nod, wanting to prove to Brax that she could be useful.

The group soon arrived and Kiara showed them to their table, taking their drink order. Giving them a polite smile, Kiara headed over to Brax at the bar and handed him the order slip.

Making her way behind the bar, Kiara helped him prepare the drinks and then with Kyle's help she took them over. Nearly two hours later, the group left and Kiara cleared the table ready for the next customers.

"Good job," Brax stated, as Kiara handed him the money and sat down on one of the stools.

"I can't believe they paid in cash," Kiara added, as Kyle joined them and handed Kiara a glass of orange juice, "Plus, I got my first proper tip."

"Okay, don't rub it in," Kyle moaned, although he was grinning.

The rest of the night was steady, but by the time Brax locked up, everyone was tired and couldn't wait to get home. Kiara fell asleep on the way home, waking up when Brax shook her shoulder gently and headed straight to bed.

Waking up, Kiara got dressed and headed downstairs, retrieving her medication from the cupboard. Taking two tablets, Kiara washed them down with some water and leant against the counter.

"I thought your doctor said you only needed to take them when you felt bad," Brax stated, as he entered the kitchen and poured himself some juice.

"Yeah, it's the first time I've taken any in two weeks," Kiara replied, glancing over at Brax and recognising the concerned look on his face, "I'm okay Brax."

"I believe you, but if you do need to talk… you know I've always got time."

"I know," Kiara mumbled, nicking Brax's juice from his hand and taking a sip, before handing it back with a smile, "I'm going to go for a walk… clear my head."

Making her way to the beach, Kiara sat down on the sand and looked out over the sea. From the dark clouds and the size of the waves, Kiara knew that there was a storm on the way.

It was an hour before she decided to head home, noticing that the wind had picked up and the clouds had darkened. Arriving back at the house, Kiara walked in and found Casey sitting at the kitchen table with Romeo.

"Hey," Kiara said, closing the door and taking off her trainers.

"Are you feeling better?" Romeo asked, as Kiara joined them and looked over Casey's shoulder to see what he was doing.

"Yeah, much better thanks."

Heath arrived home not long after and Kiara made them all lunch, before heading to the surf club with Romeo. The played pool for a while and Kiara felt herself slowly snapping out of the depressive mood she had been in.

After an hour of playing pool, Kiara decided to head over to Angelo's with Romeo to get some food and see if Brax needed her help. By the time they reached Angelo's the rain had started falling and the wind was strong, but Kiara couldn't help thinking that it was just the beginning.

"Brax… Kyle," Kiara called, leading Romeo inside and towards the bar, "Brax, are you here?"

"I don't think anyone's here," Romeo replied, walking behind the bar.

"I'll give Brax a ring," Kiara stated, pulling out her phone and dialling Brax's number.

_'Hey Kia, where are you?'_ Brax inquired as he answered.

"I'm at the restaurant with Romeo and the door was unlocked, but there's no one here," Kiara told him, her eyes widening as Brady stepped out of the storage room.

_'Kyle should be, I bet he's heading home and forgot to lock up… I'm going to kill that boy.'_

"Put the phone down," Brady ordered, walking towards Romeo with a knife.

_'Kiara… Kiara.'_

x-x-x

Brax looked down at his phone as the line went dead and immediately tried to ring Kiara back, but the phone was switched off. Grabbing his car keys off the side, Brax headed out the front door and drove to Angelo's.

x-x-x

Kiara watched as Brady paced back and forth in front of them, a kitchen knife held firmly in his hand. Glancing over at Romeo, Kiara stood up and approached Brady.

"Brady," Kiara mumbled, causing him to freeze and turn towards her abruptly.

"I thought I told you to sit down," Brady snapped.

"I just want to talk," Kiara replied, trying to stay calm, "You didn't get discharged from the hospital did you?"

"I didn't need to be there, those shrinks would say anything to keep me locked away and get more money from my parents," Brady said, "Then they took away the one reason for me to stay and I decided that my time there was over."

"You ran away."

Brady smirked as he moved towards Kiara, the knife pointed towards her and she stepped back away from him. She felt stupid for believing that he had left, one thing never changed with Brady and that was that he always got what he wanted, one way or another.

Kiara was in a good place, she was living with her brothers and had started developing friendships… developing feelings for someone, but Brady could easily destroy that. He knew that her mind was fragile and he knew the right words to use to push her over the edge… he knew how to end her life.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**A storm is on its way... who will get out alive? **_


	8. Chapter 8

A groan from behind Kiara drew her attention to the storage room doorway, where Kyle was now standing holding his head and leaning heavily on the frame for support.

"Ky?" Kiara said, rushing to her brothers side and checking his head, which was bleeding pretty badly, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm not too sure about my head though," Kyle replied, grimacing as he touched the cut.

"Looks like it's time for us to go Ki," Brady told her with a smirk before turning to Romeo, "You'll be coming too."

"Wait, where are we going?" Kiara asked, "If you haven't noticed there's a storm out there and it's getting worse… how far do you expect to get?"

"Far enough," Brady snapped, heading to the back door and checking that it was clear, "Now say goodbye to your brother and move."

Glancing over at Romeo, she gave him an apologetic look and turned to Kyle, who was glaring at Brady. Walking forward she hugged him and kissed his cheek, feeling him put something in her jacket pocket.

"It's got a GPS tracker in it," Kyle whispered as he pulled away, "Be careful."

Kiara made her way over to where Brady was waiting and glanced back, finding Romeo right behind her. Outside the storm had picked up, the wind was no longer a frustrated howl but a scream and the rain was hammering down hard upon their heads, almost mercilessly as Brady led them towards the woods.

Lightning ripped through the sky illuminating their way, accompanied by loud thunder, which served as a fitting soundtrack given their current situation. Kiara hated storms, she hated the fear that it ignited within her and the way her heart rate accelerated, but she couldn't remember why it scared her so much.

They had been walking for nearly an hour, when Brady told them to stop and Kiara leant against a tree beside Romeo.

"I'm sorry that you got dragged into this," Kiara mumbled, keeping her attention on Brady.

"It's not your fault," Romeo replied, as lightning struck again and Kiara flinched, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kiara lied, jumping as the thunder rumbled overhead.

"Not a fan of storms?"

"Not really… I've never liked them," Kiara admitted, glancing over at him.

"Lets go," Brady stated, motioning to a steep incline, which would lead them deeper into the woods.

"Are you crazy?" Romeo inquired, turning to look at Brady, "It's too dangerous."

"Do you think I care how dangerous it is?" Brady replied, grabbing Romeo by his jacket, "Now, you have two choices… you can either go down there on your own or I can push you down there?"

"We'll go," Kiara answered quickly, not wanting Romeo to get hurt.

Brady glanced over at Kiara and chuckled, before releasing Romeo's jacket from his grip. Kiara approached the edge of the slope and took a deep breath, using a nearby tree branch to stop her slipping to the bottom.

"Take it easy," Romeo said from behind her, "If we stick to this side, we should get down without doing any damage."

Making their way down the slope was hard enough, but with the strong wind and rain hitting them it was nearly impossible. Where they were, the canopy that the trees created was thin and offered no shelter from the storm.

They were nearly half way down, when Romeo lost his footing and tumbled down to the bottom. Kiara had tried to grab him, but as she reached out her feet slid out from under her and she landed on her back.

"Romeo," Kiara shouted, getting up slowly and making her way down as quickly as she could.

"I'm okay," Romeo called back, "Just a twisted ankle and a few cuts."

Kiara made her way to the bottom as quickly as she could and helped Romeo to his feet, taking his weight. Brady motioned for them to move and so wrapping her arm around Romeo's waist; Kiara helped him towards a cabin not far from where they stood.

"Inside," Brady ordered, holding open the door and closing it behind them.

Kiara helped Romeo sit on the floor and sat next to him, taking in their surroundings. The cabin was dilapidated, the rotting wood and broken windows a clear sign of its years of neglect.

Flinching as thunder rumbled overhead, Kiara could feel slight panic stirring in her stomach and took deep breaths to calm herself down. Trying her hardest to block out the storm, Kiara was surprised when she felt fingers entwine with hers and glanced over at Romeo.

"It'll be okay," Romeo whispered, tightening his grip slightly.

"Isn't it sweet," Brady stated, looking back at them from the other side of the room and laughing, "Do you think he'd like you if he knew about your past… if he knew the thoughts you have?"

"Leave her alone," Romeo added, glancing at Brady.

"Shall we let Romeo here in on your little secret," Brady continued, moving to crouch beside Kiara, "Lets tell him about the time you spent in a mental hospital and the fact that you have to take medication to keep you stable."

"Dude… lay off," Romeo warned, as tears fell down Kiara's cheeks.

"Did you know that she's tried killing herself three times?" Brady asked, "That's the girl that you've really got feelings for."

Kiara looked from Brady to Romeo and without a second of hesitation, she ran out of the cabin into the storm.

"Kiara," Romeo shouted, but Kiara ignored him and headed into the dark woods.

x-x-x

Driving in the storm wasn't the smartest move, but Brax finally arrived and headed inside to find Kyle on the restaurant phone.

"Yeah, the password is Braxton and the code is 17953," Kyle told whoever was on the other end, "I lost it hiking, it's probably been picked up by now."

Waiting for Kyle to finish, Brax checked the restaurant over for damage and then returned to the bar. Kyle gave a few more details and then hung up the phone, turning to Brax.

"What happened?" Brax demanded, checking out Kyle's head.

"Brady showed up and smashed me in the head, he left with Kiara and Romeo," Kyle explained, keeping it as short as possible, "Brax… he took them into the woods."

"Who was you on the phone too?"

"I gave Kiara my phone, it has a GPS tracker… I was activating it so that we can track their movements on the computer."

Brax nodded, before sending a text to Heath and Casey, telling them to go to Angelo's but to be careful on their way over. If they were going to track down Brady, Kiara and Romeo before the storm got worse, they would need all the help they could get.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**Sorry for the late update guys... my computer died, but I'm back up and running now Let me know what you think. Until next time :)**_


	9. Chapter 9

Brax was worried, Kiara hated storms and he knew that by now she would be terrified. No one understood how fragile Kiara was and not knowing what she was thinking scared Brax, because he had seen what her thoughts could do to her.

The day she had tried to kill herself was still clear in his mind, the way her eyes seemed to dim and how she begged him to let her go. He hadn't realised how unhappy she was, until he read the letter she had left and it broke his heart.

Brax had tried to protect her, but he never thought that she would need saving from her own mind and he had struggled to come to terms with that. She seemed to get a bit better after that, but he guessed that changed when he left with the others in close pursuit… leaving her with their mum as her main support.

"Brax," Heath said as he entered Angelo's, followed closely by Casey, "What's going on?"

"Brady took Romeo and Kiara out into the storm," Brax replied, "They're somewhere in the woods… Kyle gave Kiara his phone so that we can track them, but we've got to wait for the information from the tracker."

"How long will that take?" Casey asked.

"A few minutes, but if the storm gets much worse I won't be able to get a signal from the GPS,"

Brax felt the worry rush through him, but he had to keep it together… at least until he found Kiara and Romeo.

x-x-x

The pain in Romeo's ankle made him grimace with every movement, as he made his way through the thick undergrowth of the woods. He had been looking for Kiara for a while now, but the problem was that he wasn't the only one looking and Brady was still armed.

He really liked Kiara and knowing that she'd been in a mental hospital didn't change that, it just made him want to be there for her even more. Hearing movement somewhere to his right, Romeo stopped walking and smiled when Kiara stepped out from behind a tree.

"Are you okay?" Romeo asked, earning a small nod from Kiara and moving forward to hug her, "We should get out of here."

"What's the rush?" Brady added, stepping out from behind a large tree and smirking.

Kiara and Romeo didn't have anywhere to go, to their left was another steep slope and to their right was thick undergrowth. Brady stepped forward, the knife in his hand and the familiar look of pure anger in his eyes.

Before anyone could say or do anything, Brady charged Romeo and pinned him against a tree. Romeo fought back as Brady tried to stab him in the stomach, grabbing the hand with the knife and twisting it away from him.

Panicking, Kiara watched in horror as Brady growled in frustration and grabbed Romeo by the throat. Not knowing what else to do, Kiara ran at Brady and with all the strength she could muster, she knocked him off of Romeo who sank to the ground gasping for breath.

As Kiara came to a stop, Brady's foot caught on a tree root that was sticking up out of the ground and fell backwards down the steep slope his arms flailing hopelessly. Kiara stood frozen to the spot, jumping a little when Romeo put his arm around her shoulders and she wrapped her arm around his waist to support him.

They both moved to the edge of the slope, looking down and could just make out Brady's motionless body half way down resting against a tree trunk. Looking up at Romeo, he tightened his grip on her shoulder and led her back towards the cabin without a word.

x-x-x

Brax looked around as he made his way through the dense woods, with Heath and Casey either side of him. The storm was still as bad as it had been an hour before, but luckily for them the canopy above them protected them from a majority of the rain and they were still able to see relatively well.

"Kiara… Romeo," Brax shouted, although he very much doubted that they would hear him over the howling of the wind and the rumbles of thunder, "What's that?"

Brax's pace quickened as an old wooden cabin came into view and he cautiously pushed open the door, finding that it was empty.

"Brax, we need help," Casey said, earning a nod from Brax as they headed back to Angelo's.

x-x-x

Kiara and Romeo had been walking for nearly two hours, before running into search and rescue that were out looking for them. Brax was already at the hospital when they arrived and Kiara wasted no time, throwing herself into her brother's open arms.

"Are you okay?" Brax asked, earning a nod from Kiara, "Romeo?"

"I'm fine, just a twisted ankle," Romeo replied, joining them as a police officer made her way over to them.

"I know you're both tired and probably can't wait to get home, but I have some questions for you regarding the whereabouts of the boy you were with… Brady Fisher," She stated, looking from Kiara to Romeo and back again, "Search and rescue mentioned something about an accident."

"Brady attacked me with a knife and had me pinned against a tree, with his hand around my throat," Romeo explained, "In an attempt to get him off me, Kiara barged him and he tripped on a tree root and fell backwards down one of the steep slopes."

"Any idea where this happened?" The officer asked.

"There's an old cabin about twenty minutes north of where we were found, the slope was maybe forty-five minutes north west of that and led down to a stream," Romeo told her.

"Thanks, I might need to ask you both some more questions but they can wait until tomorrow."

"Thanks Charlie," Brax said, earning a smile and a quick nod in return, "Lets get you home… Romeo, do you need a lift?"

"Yeah, that would be great."

As they left, Kiara overheard Charlie talking about Brady and tensed when she heard the words 'possible body'. Brax dropped Romeo off home, before heading back to the house and leading Kiara inside where the others were waiting anxiously.

Getting showered and changed into dry clothes, Kiara made her way back into the living room where Brax was filling the others in on what had happened.

"So, search and rescue will find him and he'll get arrested?" Kyle added, once Brax had finished.

"What if he's dead?" Kiara mumbled from the doorway, drawing everyone's attention in her direction, "What if I killed him?"

"If he's dead it's not your fault, Kia," Brax replied, moving towards her and lifting her chin so that she was looking at him, "He was trying to hurt Romeo, you did what you had to do to protect your friend and that's all… you did nothing wrong."

"But I might have killed him, Brax," Kiara argued, feeling the tears roll down her face, "He has a family… how do I live knowing that I took him away from them?"

"Kia…" Brax started, but Kiara shook her head and backed away from him.

"This is all my fault… I should never have come here," She whispered, "I should have stayed in Mangrove with mum, she was right… there's no helping me."

Kiara rushed into Kyle's room and closed the door behind her, sliding to the floor in front of it with her hands over her ears. She knew Brax had followed her, knew that he was on the other side staring at the closed door and thinking about what to say.

She also knew that he'd give up on her eventually and in a way she wanted him to… she needed him to because it was easier to end something when there was no one left behind to get hurt.

* * *

**Author's notes**

_**Thanks for reading... so, will Brax give up on his little sister or is Kiara's mind playing games with her emotions? Until next time **_


	10. Chapter 10

Sitting on the beach with her arms wrapped around her knees, Kiara stared out over the water and let her mind wander. She had been avoiding her brothers and Romeo as much as possible, but she knew it wouldn't be long before one of them caught up with her.

With her attention on the sea, Kiara didn't see Romeo approach her until he sat down and snapped her back to reality.

"You're avoiding me," Romeo stated, glancing over at her.

"I was just giving you some space," Kiara lied, refusing to meet Romeo's gaze, "Brady told you a lot of stuff about me… thought you might need some time to process everything."

"If you answered my calls or read my text messages you would already have an answer to that," Romeo added, "Nothing that Brady told me changes anything, I still like you and I still wanna hang out."

"Why?" Kiara asked, finally looking him in the eye, "I'm sick Romeo… mentally sick and… I'm just broken."

"I like the person that you are Kiara and I understand that things are not always easy for you, but I'll be right here to help as much as I can. Just give me a chance to be there."

"I can't," Kiara told him, although everything was telling her to try, "You deserve more than someone like me… you deserve someone who functions normally… someone who just isn't me."

"I'm not going to give up on you, Kiara."

"Well you should because I'll only end up dragging you down with me," Kiara mumbled, walking away and leaving Romeo staring after her.

It took everything in her not to run back to Romeo and apologise, but she had to do what was best for him. He didn't need the burden of her friendship, or the stress that came with knowing her.

x-x-x

Romeo watched as Kiara walked away from him and fought the urge to follow her, to make her understand that he wasn't going anywhere. Making his way to the diner, Romeo headed inside and immediately spotted Casey alone in the corner.

"Hey dude," Romeo said as he approached him, sitting down opposite him.

"Hey," Casey replied, glancing up at Romeo and then returning his gaze to his empty cup.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Casey stated, "I'm just worried about Kiara… she's not coping with the whole Brady situation and… I don't know man."

"I spoke to her just now, down on the beach," Romeo told him, taking a seat, "She pretty much told me that I shouldn't try and be friends with her."

"It's not personal," Casey assured him but Romeo knew that, "This is just how she gets sometimes."

"You don't need to explain, I'm not planning on walking away that easily," Romeo added.

x-x-x

It had been three days since everything happened with Brady and Kiara hadn't said much, in fact they had hardly seen her. Sitting in the kitchen with Heath, Brax's mind was pulled back from his thoughts as someone knocked on the door and he went to answer it.

"Charlie," He said, frowning at the brunette standing at his door.

"Hey Brax," Charlie replied with a small smile, "Is Kiara around?"

"Yeah, how come?" Brax asked.

"I just need a word with her that's all," Charlie explained, "It won't take long."

Brax nodded, heading to Kyle's bedroom door and tapping on it gently. After a few moments of silence, Brax sighed and pushed open the door, finding Kiara lying on the bed with her back to him.

"Kia, Charlie needs to talk to you," Brax told her, keeping his voice quiet.

When Kiara turned over to look at him, Brax saw the fear in her eyes and gave her a reassuring nod. Standing up, Kiara took a deep breath and reluctantly left the room, waiting for Brax outside.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Brax gave them a comforting squeeze and followed her into the living room.

"Hi Kiara," Charlie stated, "I thought I'd come over and just update you on the Brady situation… so far, search and rescue have scoured the area where Romeo told us Brady fell, but there's been no sign."

"How is that possible?" Kiara inquired, "We saw him fall… he wasn't moving?"

"We think he probably just got knocked unconscious and then woke up where he landed," Charlie added, "We're keeping an eye out for him, but I thought you should know and tell you to let us know if you see him."

Charlie left ten minutes later and Brax showed her out, before returning to where Kiara still stood. He watched her for a few seconds, noticing how eerily calm she was and realizing that he had seen the same behaviour from her before.

He had watched her shut down and push everyone away, but this was not going to end the same way. He couldn't lose his sister… he refused to let her give up and allow her mind to win.

"Hey, why don't we all eat out together tonight at Angelo's?" Brax suggested, "It's been a while since we ate out."

"Sounds good," Heath replied and Kiara simply nodded.

"Be there for about eight," Brax told them, grabbing his keys and heading out the front door.

Heading down to the beach, Brax found Romeo who had just started his shift and approached him. He was going to need as much help as possible and Romeo had become a big part of Kiara's life recently, which is why he was the person that came to mind.

"Hey Brax," Romeo said as Brax walked towards him.

"Hey, are you free tonight about eight?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Kiara needs something to distract her and I decided on a meal at Angelo's," Brax explained, "She needs all the support she can get right now and I was hoping you'd come."

"Of course, I'd love to."

"Great, we're meeting at Angelo's about eight."

Romeo nodded and Brax nodded in return as he made his way back to his truck, finding a note under his windscreen wiper. Looking around, Brax removed the folded piece of paper and read it.

_'__I know a million ways to break your sister, this is going to be fun.'_

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Can Romeo help Kiara? Can he prove to her that she is worth his time? Thanks for reading guys_**


	11. Chapter 11

Eight o'clock soon arrived and Kiara followed Heath into Angelo's, immediately spotting Romeo sitting with Casey. Taking a deep breath, Kiara approached the table and sat down next to Kyle, listening to the conversations going on around her.

Kiara sat pushing her food around her plate for a while, before excusing herself and heading outside. She needed to get some air… she needed time to think, but it wasn't long before Casey joined her.

"Can I ask you something?" Casey asked, leaning back against the wall and staring over at his little sister.

"Sure," Kiara mumbled.

"Why are you pushing Romeo away?"

"It's better this way Case… no one will get hurt and I won't screw up his life like I have mine," Kiara told him, "I'm doing what's best for him."

"Kia… you like him and it's been ages since you've shown interest in a guy, or anyone for that matter," Casey argued, "Before Brady showed up, you were spending time with Romeo and for the first time in years I started seeing my little sister again… you've changed so much but around him you're… well you."

"I don't know what Brady is planning Case and you don't know what he's capable of… I do," Kiara added, looking over at her brother for the first time.

"We'll deal with him… as a family," Casey said, moving to stand next to Kiara and pulling her into a hug, "Just don't push away the people that want to help."

Kiara nodded and snaked her arms around Casey's waist, laying her head on his chest. Her plan hadn't changed, but she hated seeing her brothers hurting and Casey was right… she really did like Romeo.

Heading back inside, Kiara offered Brax a small smile and took her seat. Joining in the conversation, Kiara relaxed a little and allowed herself to enjoy the rest of the night.

"Romeo," Kiara called as they all left Angelo's, "Do you want to go for a run tomorrow if your ankle is up to it?"

"Sure… normal time?" Romeo inquired and Kiara nodded, "I'll see you then."

Kiara smiled and then followed Heath and Casey back towards the house. The walk helped clear Kiara's head and by the time they arrived home, she went straight to be. Her sleep was plagued with nightmares as usual, meaning that she was up and ready to leave by the time Romeo arrived.

They ran their usual route at a steady pace and ended up on the beach, looking out over the sea. Watching the rise and fall of the waves, Kiara waited until her breathing was back to normal, before turning to look at Romeo.

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you yesterday," Kiara told him, "Sometimes, I just… I try and do what's best for others without thinking about what they actually want."

"You don't have to apologise for anything Kia," Romeo replied, "I just want to be there for you."

"Thank you," Kiara mumbled, smiling as Romeo got up and held out his hand.

"Come on," Romeo stated as Kiara took his hand and he pulled her to her feet, "Lets go get a milkshake… my treat."

Kiara smiled as Romeo entwined their fingers and led her towards the diner, where they found ruby studying. Spotting them, Ruby smiled and motioned for them to join her.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Rubes, what are you working on?" Romeo asked, ordering the milkshakes and sitting beside Kiara.

"Just my history project, I'm supposed to be meeting Casey here but he's late as usual."

"That's one thing Casey has always been good at," Kiara said, "He's never been good at time keeping… in fact, none of my brothers are ever on time."

"Oi," Casey protested from behind her, kissing her head and falling into the seat beside Ruby, "I'm not always late… sometimes, everyone else is simply early."

"You're a wizard… you're never late, nor are you early… you arrive precisely when you mean to," Kiara added, acting surprised and grinning at her brother.

"Did you really just quote Lord of the Rings?" Casey inquired, "You dag."

Romeo put his arm around Kiara as she hid her face in his shoulder, and everyone laughed. They stayed at the diner and talked for a while, until Casey headed back to the gym. Ruby soon followed, leaving Romeo and Kiara alone.

"Do you want to come back to the house and play video games or watch a movie?" Kiara asked, after speaking for a while.

"A film sounds good."

Making their way back to the Braxton house, Kiara made them both some pancakes and then joined Romeo in the living room.

"Did you find anything?" Kiara inquired, handing Romeo a plate and looking over his shoulder at the DVD's, "My brothers have the notebook on DVD."

"Apparently so," Romeo replied as they bother started laughing, "What sort of movies do you like?"

"Horrors mostly, but some chick flicks as well," Kiara told him, running her finger along the DVD's and pulling out The Hangover, "This is one of my favourites though."

Romeo took the film and set it up, before sitting next to Kiara on the sofa. They had watched nearly half the movie when Brax walked in, freezing in the doorway when he saw Kiara with Romeo's arm wrapped around her and smiled.

x-x-x

Hearing Kiara laughing and seeing her relaxed made Brax happy… it gave him hope that she could pull through. Closing the door, Brax chucked his keys on the side and went into the kitchen to make himself some coffee.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, Brax got started on his paperwork and couldn't help smiling when Kiara once again laughed. Although he knew that she was struggling, he couldn't help feeling optimistic and above everything else… he just wanted his little sister back.

They could handle Brady and they could deal with their mum, but they couldn't read Kiara's mind… that was the most dangerous thing right now.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**So Kiara's still set on going through with her plan... but will Romeo and her brothers be able to show her that she has things worth living for?**_


	12. Chapter 12

It was three weeks, before Brady made contact again and this time it was directly with Kiara. She was home alone; when a brick was launched through the front window and attached to it was a note.

_'Looking cosy with the lifeguard, but you know that you belong to me… see you soon love'_

It wasn't long before Brax arrived home and Kiara showed him the note, noticing for the first time that she was shaking. Getting Kiara a glass of water, Brax cleared up the broken glass from the floor and then phoned the others to let them know.

Soon enough everyone was gathered in the living room and Kiara was cuddled into Heath's side, staring into thin air. Brady was good at games; especially when it was Kiara's mind that he was playing with and he didn't know when to stop… he would push and push until she broke.

"Kiara," Brax said, snapping her out of her daydream and bringing her back to the conversation going on around her.

"What?" Kiara mumbled.

"I said, you can come help out at the restaurant later… I don't want you being left here alone," Brax told her.

By seven o'clock Kiara was serving food and drinks at the restaurant, which helped take her mind of things a bit. She had been there for nearly three hours, when Romeo walked through the doors and Kiara smiled as he approached her at the bar.

"What brings you here?" Kiara asked.

"I heard that the food is pretty good and that the view is beautiful," Romeo replied, winking at her, "The view is definitely something special."

"That was really cheesy," Kiara teased, chuckling at Romeo and grabbing his hand when he pretended to start walking away.

"Casey told me that you were working and I just wanted to know if you'd want to go out with me tomorrow?"

"Like a date?"

"Yeah… well, only if you want it to be…"

"Yes," Kiara said, smiling at Romeo, "You better go though, before Brax catches me skiving and ropes you in to do the washing up."

"I'm going, I'll pick you up tomorrow from your place at about five."

Kiara nodded in agreement and watched as Romeo left, before returning to work. It was midnight by the time they got home and Kiara was tired, heading straight to bed. Waking up early the next morning, Kiara made her way into the kitchen and found Kyle messing with his guitar.

"Morning," Kiara greeted, kissing his cheek, "You want a hot chocolate?"

"Yes please," Kyle stated with a smile.

"Marshmallows?"

"Yeah, but I actually want some hot chocolate with my marshmallows if possible."

Kiara stuck her tongue out at him and Kyle chuckled, returning his attention to tuning his guitar. It wasn't long before Brax joined them, frowning at Kiara and grinning as she hugged him.

"You're in a good mood," Brax said, not that he was complaining or anything.

"That's probably because she has a date with Romeo tonight," Casey informed them as he entered the kitchen and sat at the table.

"Really?" Brax added.

"Yes," Kiara replied and hastily disappeared into the bedroom.

The day passed slowly, but finally five o'clock arrived and with it came Romeo. Looking at her reflection in the mirror one last time, Kiara made her way into the living room and found Romeo talking to Casey.

"Have fun you two," Brax called as they reached the door.

"Remember… safety first," Heath shouted, causing Kiara to turn bright red and Romeo laughed.

"Come on," Romeo stated, offering Kiara his hand and entwining their fingers when she took it.

Heading down to the beach, Romeo stopped at his lifeguard post and collected a bag that had been hidden. Frowning, Kiara allowed him to lead her further along the beach, before putting down a blanket and motioning for her to sit down.

Kiara took a seat and looked out over the calm ocean, watching the sun begin its gradual descent towards the horizon. Returning her attention back to Romeo, she saw that he was busy setting out some food that he had in the bag and she smiled.

She had never been on a date before… to be honest she had never been with anyone that she considered boyfriend material and that made the whole thing extra special to her.

"I've never taken a girl on a date before… at least not a proper date," Romeo confessed as he sat down opposite her, "I hope this is okay."

"You brought me for a picnic at my favourite place in the entire world," Kiara said, accepting the drink that Romeo offered her, "It's perfect."

"Why do you like the beach so much?" Romeo inquired.

"Heath and Brax say that the Braxtons have the sea running through our veins… that we're connected to it," Kiara replied, "The ocean is like our second home, but I like it because its peaceful and when I'm standing looking out over the water… I feel good."

"You know, I didn't really get on with your brothers when they first arrived in the Bay and if I'm honest I never thought I would," Romeo told her.

"My brothers are… they're complicated," Kiara added.

They soon fell into comfortable conversation, eating the food that Romeo had prepared and getting lost in each other. Two hours later, they stood by the waters edge wrapped in each other's arms and Kiara felt happy. Looking at Romeo, Kiara made a decision and kissed him, smiling when he kissed her back.

x-x-x

Hidden from view, Brady watched as the lifeguard kissed his girl and balled his fists at his side. That should have been him… he should be the one making her feel good about herself, but he'd just as easily settle with breaking her.

Pulling out his phone, Brady scrolled through his contacts and hit the call button. It rang a few times, before a gruff voice answered and Brady smirked.

"I need to cash in that favour you owe me," Brady said, staring at Romeo and Kiara, "I need someone dealt with, but I don't want them dead… I want them scared."

"Send me the details," The man replied, "What do you want done?"

"You my friend are going to become a girls worst nightmare… I want her terrorised," Brady instructed, "I want you to chip away at her and I don't care how you do, just make sure that your methods are effective."

"Of course."

Brady hung up and with one last look towards the sea he left the lovebirds alone to enjoy the calm before the storm, this was going to be fun to watch.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**Who has Brady turned to for help and what will happen to Kiara? Thanks for reading :)**_


	13. Chapter 13

Kiara hadn't surfed for ages, but she was ready to get back on a board and had borrowed Casey's for a while. Early morning surfing was Kiara's favourite, watching the sunrise on a brand new day and catching a wave back in.

Spotting a wave, Kiara paddled and at the right moment pushed herself up to stand. Feeling the spray from the sea hitting her face was refreshing and the freedom she felt as she soared through the water was exhilarating.

Making her way up the beach, Kiara found Casey watching her and watched as he stood up. Detaching the ankle strap, Kiara approached him and dug the board into the sand.

"Looking good out there, Kia," Casey said with a smile as he hugged her.

"It felt good being back out there… now, I just need to get Brax to buy me a new board," Kiara replied.

"Good luck with that," Casey added, grabbing his board and jogging towards the sea.

Kiara jumped in the shower as soon as she got home and changed, before heading downstairs where Kyle was playing around with his guitar. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Kiara sat down beside him and listened to him play for a few minutes.

It wasn't long before Kyle changed the song he was playing and Kiara smiled as she recognised the new song.

"Heart beat fast, colours and promises, how to be brave? How can I love when I'm afraid to fall but watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow… one step closer," Kiara sang, "I have died everyday waiting for you, darling, don't be afraid I loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more."

Kyle stopped playing and smiled, looking over at Kiara. It had been a while since Kiara had sung with Kyle and she had missed it… if she was honest she missed a lot of things that she used to share with her brothers.

x-x-x

Listening to Kiara sing reminded Kyle of the hours they used to spend messing around with music, but that had been before Kiara got ill and he didn't think that they would ever do it again.

"I…" Kyle started, but changed his mind and fell silent.

"What?" Kiara required.

"It's nothing… I just missed this," Kyle told her, motioning between them, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too Ky."

Kyle placed his guitar to one side and pulled Kiara into a tight hug, putting the television on. They had been watching some random program for nearly an hour, when Brax, Heath and Casey walked in.

"What are you two doing?" Brax asked as he closed the front door behind him.

"Planning a bank robbery," Kiara replied, "Our plan is solid, it involves flying monkeys with guns and the best part of all is that we decided on using unicorns as our escape vehicles… it was either that or dragons."

"Let me know if you need help with that," Brax added as someone knocked on the door and Heath Let Romeo in.

"No need, Romeo will help us," Kiara stated, causing Romeo to frown and glance at Casey nervously.

"What exactly would I be helping with?"

"Me and Kyle are planning on robbing a bank… we have everything set to go, but I need an alibi," Kiara explained seriously.

The look on Romeo's face was priceless and everyone started laughing, causing Romeo to relax a little.

"Are you here for me or the bank robbing genius?" Casey inquired.

"Actually, I came over to see if Kiara wanted to go to the beach party fundraiser with me," Romeo added, causing Kiara to smile and nod in agreement, "Are you going with Ruby, Case?"

"Yeah, I'm meeting her there in a little while."

x-x-x

Half an hour later, Romeo, Casey, Kiara, and Kyle all made their way down to the beach. There were already a lot of people gathered when they arrived and Kiara felt herself internally freaking out, but she knew that she could handle it… at least for a little while.

"Are you going to sign up for the surf comp?" Casey asked Kiara.

"I don't know, I haven't got a board down here to use and it's been a while since I've been on a board properly."

"You can use my board if you want, it's up at the surf club," Romeo offered.

"Thanks."

It wasn't long before Heath and Brax arrived to watch, but they weren't the only one's. Kiara had felt eyes on her for a while and had pushed the feeling away, but she hadn't failed to notice the guy standing at the back of the beach.

The guy wasn't much older than her, but he was a lot taller and the vibe Kiara got from him wasn't good. Stripping down to her swimming costume, Kiara attached the ankle strap of Romeo's board to her ankle and took her position in the line up.

"Okay, each of you will get ten minutes out in the surf," John Palmer explained, "You get two runs each and your best run will be the one that counts at the end, whoever gets the best score will win."

Once she found out that she would be surfing last, she detached the board and headed to get herself a drink. Grabbing a can of soda, Kiara turned without looking and walked straight into the man she had noticed earlier.

"Purple looks good on you," The man said, looking her up and down, "You really shouldn't walk around with just your swimsuit on, some people might get the wrong idea."

Kiara tried to pull away as the man put his hand on her lower back and took a step forward, causing Kiara's heart to start beating faster. Glancing over to where Romeo and her brothers were sitting, Kiara realised that they were all watching the surfing.

"My boyfriend and brothers are right over there," Kiara warned, "You don't want to get on their bad side… trust me."

"They're not even paying attention to you," The man whispered in her ear, "Plus, I know that you won't scream or call to them, because you don't like being the centre of attention."

"What do you want?" Kiara inquired.

"I don't want anything right now, but you'll be hearing from me and I'll be watching… see you around Kiara."

Kiara watched as the man walked away, feeling her stomach turn and nervousness to settle over her. Making her way back over to the others, Kiara took a seat beside Romeo and watched Xavier out on the waves.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**Thanks for reading and thank you to everyone that's commented, followed, favourited... it means alot. **_

_**Things are about to go south... but will the boys be able to keep Kiara away from the edge!**_


	14. Chapter 14

It was finally Kiara's turn to surf and she grabbed Romeo's board, heading down to the shoreline. Attaching the board to her ankle, Kiara headed out into the water and waited. Sitting up on her board, Kiara ran her hands over the surface of the water and closed her eyes. Clearing her mind, she focused on nothing but the sea and the vibrations of the water.

Brax had always told Kiara that you didn't go for just any wave, there was a moment between waves when the sea was calm and you could just feel the next set building. In that moment, you could anticipate whether or not the wave was worth riding and that was where Kiara was at right now. Opening her eyes, Kiara paddled out and watched as a new set of waves began to form in front of her.

Standing up, Kiara swiped her board through the water and rode it out until the end. Dropping into the water, Kiara allowed the water to wash over her and made her way to shore. Detaching Romeo's board, she dug it into the sand and made her way over to where her brothers were cheering with Romeo.

"Nice run kiddo," Brax said, handing Kiara a towel.

"Thanks," Kiara replied, accepting the towel and drying herself off a little.

It was an hour before the winner was announced and Kiara stood beside Xavier, waiting to hear who won. Kiara's eyes scanned the beach, spotting the man that had approached her and quickly averting her gaze when their eyes connected.

"That was some great surfing out there, but there can only be one winner and that winner is…" John announced, adding in the dramatic pause that nobody likes, "Kiara Braxton."

Kiara smiled as her brothers cheered, allowing John to slip her medal over her head and hand her an envelope containing a cheque for three hundred dollars. Making her way back over to her brothers, Kiara's eyes caught sight of the man that had approached her and an uneasy feeling spread through her.

"How about we have dinner at Angelo's tonight to celebrate your victory?" Brax suggested, earning eager nods of agreement from Heath, Casey and Kyle.

"Sounds good," Kiara stated.

She knew that she should tell Brax about the guy that had pretty much threatened her, but the truth was she just wanted to spend some time with her brothers and not have to worry about anything else.

They stayed at the beach for another hour, before heading to Angelo's and sitting down for dinner. Brax had invited Romeo, who was now sat next to Kiara and talking to Casey about the gym.

Getting up, Kiara headed to the bar to give Brax a hand with the drinks and was handed a note by one of the waitresses. Frowning, Kiara unfolded the piece of paper and read what was scribbled across it.

_'I'm watching you'_

Shoving the paper in her pocket, Kiara looked around cautiously and grabbed the tray of drinks off the bar. Whoever the guy was obviously liked playing games, but what Kiara didn't understand was why he had chosen her and then it dawned on her… _Brady_.

Making it through the meal without letting on that something was wrong, Kiara said goodbye to Romeo and headed over to where Heath was waiting with Casey.

"You ready to head home?" Heath asked, putting his arm around Kiara's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm kinda tired," Kiara admitted.

"Let's get you home then," Heath added, guiding her towards the house.

The walk home was nice and Kiara headed off to bed as soon as they stepped through the door, falling into a peaceful sleep quickly. Waking up the following morning, Kiara made her way into the kitchen and made herself a strong cup of coffee.

Hearing a knock at the front door, she opened it and smiled when she saw Romeo standing on the other side.

"Hey you," Kiara said.

"Hey yourself, is Casey ready to go?" Romeo inquired, smiling as Kiara motioned for him to enter the house and went to check if Casey was up.

"He'll be out in a few minutes," Kiara told him, "Do you want some coffee?"

"Sounds good."

She had just poured two more cups, when Casey joined them and grinned as Kiara handed him a cup. The boys soon left and Kiara made herself something to eat, settling on the sofa in front of the television.

Retrieving her notepad and pen from the table, Kiara stared at the blank page. In two weeks time her plan would be done and she needed her brothers to understand, but she had no idea what to say.

'_Brax,_

_ I can't pinpoint a specific time when I gave up… when I decided that my life wasn't worth the hassle and that everyone was better off with me gone. I spent everyday in the hospital searching for something to get me through and it was always the memories I had of all of us, but the memories are just not strong enough._

_You, Heath, Casey and Kyle have always been that one consistent factor in my life… the one thing that I knew would always be there. When I came here my world was a mess, crumbling and dark but as always you fixed it. I wish it was enough.'_

Kiara stopped writing, wiping the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and continuing.

'_I'll always be grateful for everything you've done for me, Brax, the sacrifices you made and the support you've given me throughout everything that's happened. Mum has never been a parent to me, but there was one thing that she's always been right about… I'm not worth it… I'm nothing._

_This wasn't your fault Brax, I'm just too broken… too numb and you shouldn't have to deal with that. I guess this is goodbye, but I don't ever want you to forget that I love you and that has never changed. Look after yourself and the others, they need you even if they say they don't at times._

_Blood and Sand'_

Folding the piece of paper, Kiara placed it in an envelope and hid it in her bag for when the time was right. Now was the time to enjoy every moment with her family, before she had to distance herself and do everyone a favour.

One letter down, four to go.

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**

**_Hey guys... Sorry for the late update, I was bogged under with Nano and stuff, but I am back and ready to get stuck deeper into this story :) Thanks for reading!_**


	15. Chapter 15

Over the next few days, Kiara found herself being stalked by the man from the beach and it was making her extremely uneasy. Notes were being left for her to find and the threats had been getting more serious, but nothing had happened so far.

Returning home from breakfast with Romeo, Kiara headed into Kyle's room to get her writing pad and froze when she spotted a small box on her bed with a red ribbon tied around it. Rolling her eyes, Kiara picked it up with a smile and opened it.

As soon as she saw what was in it, she screamed and dropped the box on the floor spilling it's contents. Inside the neatly fastened box was a bloody heart, fresh by the amount of blood on it and a clear message to Kiara that Brady was keeping his eye on her.

With shaking hands, Kiara tidied up and moved the box into the kitchen. Ignoring the sick feeling in her stomach, Kiara texted Brax and anxiously waited for him to get home.

X-x-X

"Kia?" Brax called, closing the front door behind him and frowning when Kiara emerged from the kitchen, throwing herself into his arms, "What's going on?"

"I thought it was from Romeo... It was on my bed," Kiara rambled as Brax put his arms around her trembling form, "Why would he send something like that?"

"Slow down," Brax stated, pulling back a little and lifting Kiara's chin so that she was looking in his eyes, "What did you think was from Romeo?"

"The present," Kiara mumbled, pointing towards the kitchen table and following Brax as he made his way over to it.

Spotting the the box on the table, Brax frowned and pulled the lid off. Staring in horror, Brax replaced the lid and pulled Kiara into another hug. Anger radiated off of him as he held Kiara, her obvious fear grounding him and preventing him from acting on his urge to beat someone within an inch of their life.

He wasn't stupid, it didn't take a genius to work out who was behind it and Brax would handle it as soon as he knew that Kiara was okay.

"It's going to be okay," Brax whispered, hearing Kiara sniffle and take a shaky breath, "I'm going to handle this and I'll make sure that he won't bother you again."

"Anyone home?" Heath shouted as the front door opened and close.

"In the kitchen," Brax replied.

Heath soon entered the kitchen, frowning when he saw the state Kiara was in and throwing Brax a questioning look. Motioning to the table, Heath looked inside and grimaced.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Heath inquired as Brax moved Kiara to the sofa and returned to get her a glass of water.

"I'm guessing it's a message from Brady," Brax told Heath, trying to keep his voice steady as he handed Kiara the water, "Kiara found it in Kyle's room, on her bed... We need to deal with this, it's gone way too far and the kid needs to be taught a lesson."

"You got a plan?"

"Not yet, but I'll come up with something," Brax promised, kissing Kiara on the head and signalling for Heath to watch her.

X-x-X

Making an excuse to escape to the confines of Kyle's room, Kiara closed the door behind her and sat on the bed. Turning to a clean sheet of paper, Kiara stared at it for a few moments and tried to figure out what she wanted to say.

_'Heath,_

_What is there to say other than I'm sorry. There was nothing anyone could do or say to stop me... The truth is I decided a long time ago that it was my time and I held on for as long as I could. I just couldn't take no more._

_I'm going to keep this short, because I really don't have the words to tell you everything I need to... Thank you for always being there, thank you for being my big brother... I love you, Heath (I should have told you that more often)_

_Goodbye._

_Blood and Sand'_

* * *

**Sorry that this is soo late guys, my computer is dead and I've just started using my ipad for writing... I know this is short but the following chapters will be longer I hope... As always i hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.**


	16. Chapter 16

Sitting in the kitchen, Brax stared over towards Kyle's room and allowed his mind to wander. He knew Kiara was scared, but what terrified Brax more than anything was not knowing what Kiara was thinking or how he could help.

"Morning," Casey mumbled as he sat down opposite Brax.

"Morning," Brax replied, finishing the warm coffee left in his cup and grabbing his keys off the side, "I'll be back in a little while... Keep an eye on Kia."

Jumping in his truck, Brax started the engine and made his way to the beach. Pulling up, Brax climbed out and headed over to where Natalie was waiting for him.

"Hey," Natalie stated with a warm smile.

"Hey, thanks for meeting me."

"It's fine, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"My sister," Brax told her as they walked along the sand, "Kiara suffers with depression and anxiety... She's not long come out of a hospital and I'm worried that recent events will push her over the edge. I can deal with broken bones and cuts, but I have no idea how to fix something that I can't see."

"Has she always suffered with depression?" Natalie asked as they sat down.

"To be honest, I don't know when it all started," Brax admitted, "She was a happy kid with a smile that lit up her eyes, then one day that spark was just gone and I didn't even realise that she wasn't happy anymore."

"It's not your fault, Brax... Depression is a horrible illness and it can drag down even the strongest of people," Natalie told him, "Have you tried talking to Kiara about it... About how she's feeling?"

"Not really."

"You should talk to her," Natalie suggested, "Just don't push too hard... People with depression, or at least the ones I've met, they keep everything on the inside because to them that's the safest place."

Brax nodded, thanking Natalie for her help and heading over to the restaurant. It wasn't going to be easy talking to Kiara, especially about feelings, but Brax needed to understand what Kiara was going through and if that meant delving into what they were feeling... Then he'd do it.

x-x-x

It had been two days since the heart incident and Kiara hadn't left the confines of Kyle's room, but today she had to face her brothers. She didn't have much time left... she was a ticking time bomb and the detonator timer would be striking zero in nine days.

Getting changed into her running clothes, Kiara made her way into the kitchen and filled up her water bottle.

"I'm going for a run," Kiara told Casey as she walked towards the front door.

"Do you want some company?" Casey inquired.

"I'll be fine," Kiara reassured him, "I'm meeting Romeo down at the beach to run some laps... I'm not going to let Brady or his psycho friend force me into hiding."

"Just be careful," Casey told her.

Kiara smiled, before leaving and jogging towards the beach. Romeo was already waiting when she arrived, hugging her and kissing her cheek.

"Let's go," Romeo stated, sprinting off and throwing sand up as he ran.

Laughing, Kiara took off after him and quickly fell into pace at his side. They were on their fourth lap of the beach, when Kiara's phone rang and she stopped to answer it.

"Hello."

'Nice to hear your voice again, Kiara.'

"How did you get my number?" Kiara asked, recognising the voice on the other end as the man from the beach and feeling dread wash over her.

'That really doesn't matter... I gotta say, you look great in those shorts and that strappy top definitely does you justice.' the man said, causing Kiara to look around, 'You're cute when you're scared...'

Feeling a hand on her back, Kiara jumped and looked round to find Romeo watching her concerned. The constricting feeling in her throat seemed to ease a little, but the panic she felt didn't fade and the only thing grounding her at that moment was Romeo's hand against her skin.

x-x-x

Brax had just finished checking his latest delivery, when Kiara and Romeo entered the restaurant. He knew that something was wrong as soon as he saw Kiara and grabbed her a bottle of water from the fridge, before approaching them.

"What happened?" Brax inquired, sitting Kiara down at one of the tables and crouching down in front of her.

"He rang me..." Kiara mumbled.

"Who rang you... Brady?"

"No, the other man," Kiara stated, "Brax, he's watching me and I don't think that threats are going to get him to back off."

"Listen to me... I'm going to sort this," Brax promised, but he knew that Kiara didn't believe him, "Just let me finish up here and I'll take you home."

x-x-x

Waiting until everyone had gone to bed, Kiara grabbed her notepad and sat at the kitchen table. Her plans had changed... they had to change and she was ready.

'Kyle and Casey,

As you read this I'm finally at peace... No more darkness... No more pain. All you need to know is that everything is better this way... I guess like dad always said I'm just not cut out to be a Braxton, I'm not strong enough. Always remember that I love you both and although things will hard to begin with... It will get better.

i know that you think that blood and sand means you're trouble or destined to be like dad, but the truth is that phrase is the most important thing in the world to Brax... It means family and it symbolises our connection to each other... No matter what happens.'


	17. Chapter 17

Kiara didn't sleep much over the next few days and spent her time preparing for what she was about to do, but the time had come for her to unburden the people she cared about. Sitting in Kyle's room, Kiara finished writing her final goodbye letter and put it in her bag for later that day.

It was a Saturday and the weather was beautiful as always, so Kiara decided to hang out with her brothers at the beach. It was hard to enjoy herself, but she forced a smile one last time for her brothers and they seemed to buy it.

Brax took them to eat at Angelo's, before they headed home and Kiara knew that she had to go.

"I'm just going for a walk," Kiara stated, leaving her brothers letters on Kyle's bed and hastily leaving before anyone could stop her.

X-x-X

The feeling of dread washed over Brax as he watched Kiara walk out the door and he motioned for Heath to join him outside, not wanting to alarm his younger brothers. By the time they had emerged onto the street, Kiara was no where in sight and Brax began to panic.

"What's going on?" Heath inquired, looking at Brax and frowning, "Brax?"

"I think Kiara is planning to do something stupid," Brax replied, seeing the fear flash through Heath's eyes and continuing, "The way she's been acting lately is exactly what I remember from last time she tried, she's extra quiet and distant... We have to find her, Heath."

"Okay," Heath mumbled, "Where would she go?"

"I don't know," Brax whispered, running a hand over his face in frustration and balling his fists, "We could ask Romeo or Ruby... They might have some ideas."

"Wait... The other day Kia was asking about the point," Heath said, remembering the conversation he had overheard Kiara having with Ruby, "Brax, you don't think..."

"Let's go."

X-x-X

Returning home after his lifeguard shift, Romeo headed to his room and spotted the letter on his bed. Frowning, he picked it up and opened it.

'_Romeo_

_I know how much you care about me and I know that you wanted to fix me, but the truth is... I can't be fixed. You're a great guy and you truly do make me happy, but being with someone like me isn't fair on you._

_Please don't blame yourself for not being able to help me, it's not your fault... I really like you Romeo and I guess that if this is my last chance to tell you how I really feel... I love you._

_You probably think that it's too fast and maybe it is, but I don't work the same as you... My heart doesn't work the same. Look after yourself Romeo and make sure you have a happy life..._

_Your Juliet x'_

Romeo stood staring at the piece of paper in his hand for a few seconds, before grabbing his phone off the side and calling Kiara's phone.

"Pick up, pick up..." Romeo mumbled as he listened to the phone ring, his hands trembling and his stomach churning.

'_This is Kiara, if I didn't answer then I was obviously busy... Leave a message_.'

Hanging up, Romeo ran out the door and headed back towards the beach.

X-x-X

Approaching the point, Kiara made her way over to the edge and looked down. It was a long drop onto jagged rocks, being battered by waves and Kiara knew that it would be quick.

Hearing the sound of movement behind her, Kiara looked over her shoulder and turned as she spotted Brady standing a short distance away.

"Don't come any closer," Kiara warned, holding up her hands and taking another step backwards.

"Why... Because you'll jump if I do," Brady teased, moving forward and smirking as Kiara stepped back away from him, "At least this time you might actually get it right."

"Just leave me alone," Kiara whispered, returning her attention to the cliff edge and looking out over the sea.

"Kia," Brax shouted, causing Kiara to spin round in surprise, "Please... don't do this."

"It's best for everyone, Brax," Kiara replied, noticing the tears rolling down her brothers face and fighting the urge to run to him, "I can't be like this anymore... I want to be normal."

"You can't change who you are, Kiara," Brady said, "You will always be their unstable little sister... they'll never treat you like a normal person and deep down you know that they hate you for the way you are."

"Shut your mouth," Brax warned, shifting his attention back to Kiara and inching closer to her, "Listen to me, we don't understand what you go through... but we want to. Talk to me, tell me everything that you're feeling right now..."

"Trapped in my own head... everything is dark, Brax and I can't escape. When things should be happy and warm, all I feel is coldness," Kiara told him, allowing the tears that she had held in to fall down her cheeks, "I just want to feel normal."

"That'll never happen," Brady stated, "People like us belong in the dark, Kiara... Do you remember our late night conversations?"

"I told you to shut it," Brax growled, but Brady ignored him and carried on speaking.

"Remember the times we talked about your family... About how your brothers cared more about their reputations than you, remember telling me how much you hated them for not being around..."

"I've never said that," Kiara snapped, seeing the hurt look on Brax and Heath's faces, "It was you that said I should hate them... You said that if they cared they would have saved me from myself."

"It's been you all along..." Brax added, "You've been pushing her buttons ever since you met and you figured out how to break her by using the people she loved as weapons against her."

"It was fun watching that spark in her gradually get dimmer as I planted the doubts in her fragile, little head."

"Kia, don't let him win... Don't let him take away everything you've got," Brax pleaded, but Kiara didn't know what to believe any more and stepped closer to her way out, "You can get through this... We can help you through this as a family, all you have to do is come away from the edge and let us in."

Shifting her gaze between her brothers, Brady and the cliff edge, Kiara found her mind racing. Without another word, Kiara made a decision and flung herself forward.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

_**so... What did Kiara decide? Thanks for reading guys!**_


	18. Chapter 18

Brax watched as Kiara's gaze shifted between the three options she was faced with and saw the panic begin to build in her eyes, but he had to trust that she would make the right choice. Moving forward would only push her closer to the edge of the cliff and she was already too close for his liking.

Time seemed to stand still as he waited, his eyes transfixed on Kiara and then without warning she threw herself forward. Wrapping his arms around her trembling form, Brax kissed Kiara's head and tightened his hold as she cried into his chest.

"It's okay... I've got you," Brax whispered, fighting back tears and glancing over at Heath, "Everything's going to be okay."

Hearing laughter, Brax snapped his gaze to Brady and glared at him. He was just about to say something, when Romeo arrived and Brax saw the relief he had felt reflected in the boys eyes.

"Is she okay?" Romeo asked.

"You don't get it," Brady stated, rolling his eyes, "She's never going to be okay... She will always be sick in the head and there is nothing that can fix her."

"Maybe that's because she doesn't need fixing," Romeo snapped, turning to look at Brady and glaring, "Perhaps she just needs to know that she's not alone in this and that people like you can't take that away from her."

"People like me?" Brady replied.

"Yeah... people who are truly sick in the head," Romeo added, "People who get pleasure from watching others crumble in front of them."

Brady laughed, taking a few steps towards Kiara and stopping when Heath tensed. Brax kept his arms around Kiara, who was still shaking uncontrollably in his grasp and crying.

"You know the truth, Kiara... you told me how broken you feel," Brady said, "This was your only way out and now, they're going to lock you away in some hospital against your will... they'll just forget about you because they won't be able to handle you at your worst."

"She's not going anywhere," Brax told Brady as Charlie arrived, followed closely by Casey and Kyle, "She's staying with her family and we're going to help her through everything she's got going on."

Brady shouted Kiara's name as Charlie cuffed him and dragged him to the police car, but Kiara only tightened her hold on Brax's t-shirt. Watching as the car drove away, Brax guided Kiara down from the cliff and sat her down on a bench.

"I'll go get her some water from Angelo's," Kyle stated as Brax crouched down in front of Kiara, nodding at Kyle and moving a loose strand of hair out of Kiara's face.

X-x-X

Kiara stared at the ground, feeling exhaustion wash over her and allowed the tears to fall down her already tear stained cheeks. The sudden loss of Brax's arms around her made her feel insecure, but she knew that he hadn't gone far and relaxed a little when he crouched down in front of her.

"I'm sorry..." Kiara whispered, falling silent when Brax shushed her and took her hands in his.

"We'll talk about it later," Brax replied, "Right now, you're going to drink some of this water and we're going to get you home."

Kiara nodded, taking the water from Brax with a shaking hand and drinking some. She was tired and felt as if she hadn't slept for months, but she knew that it was only because of everything she had been through.

When they got home, Brax took her jacket and ordered her to go get some sleep. She didn't even bother arguing, since sleep seemed to be calling her name and so without a word she headed straight to Kyle's room.

Waking up with a gasp, Kiara felt a hand grab her shoulder and immediately pulled away from the sudden contact. Looking up Kiara saw Brax and relaxed, feeling guilty for the hurt expression he now wore on his face.

"Sorry..." Kiara mumbled, sitting up and leaning back against Kyle's bed.

"It's okay... Nightmare?" Brax inquired, moving to sit beside her and watching her closely.

"Yeah... I get them sometimes."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"They started about a week after I tried to kill myself the first time," Kiara explained, "They're normally about everyone telling me how worthless I am... mum mainly, but sometimes I have one where you and the others are at my gravestone... You're telling me how much you hate me for everything I put you through and I can see the anger in your eyes."

"Is that what you really think... that we hate you?"

"How can you not hate me?" Kiara replied honestly, "I do."

"None of us hate you, Kia," Brax stated, running a hand over his face and taking a deep breath, "If anything I hate myself... you're my little sister and I should have protected you from all the bad you've seen."

"You did everything for me, Brax... I just wasn't as strong as you, Casey and Heath. I used to wish that mum had done what dad had wanted and aborted me."

"How many times have you tried to kill yourself?" Brax added, although Kiara heard the uncertainty behind the question.

"Three times, including the time you found me," Kiara whispered, "I just wanted everything to go away... I wanted the thoughts in my head and the things I was feeling to stop, Brax."

"Why didn't you come to me?" Brax questioned and Kiara lowered her gaze to her hands, before answering.

"Mum told me that you didn't want to know... that you all had lives here in Summer Bay and that I'd just end up ruining everything you've worked hard to build," Kiara confessed, jumping up and attempting to grab Brax's hand as he left, "Brax?"

Hearing an engine roar to life and the sound of squealing tyres, Kiara slid down the wall. Pulling her knees to her chest, she rested her head on them and silently allowed the tears to fall once again.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_Next chapter is up, but there's still a few chapter left to the story yet... What do you think will happen between Brax and Cheryl? Thank you for reading :)_


	19. Chapter 19

Pulling up outside Cheryl's house, Brax jumped out of his truck and approached the house. He was angry… more than angry and he needed Cheryl to hear a few things.

"What has she done?" Cheryl inquired as soon as he walked in.

"This isn't about what Kiara's done… this is about what you've done," Brax snapped, glaring at Cheryl.

"What have I done now?" Cheryl replied, rolling her eyes and taking another drink of whiskey.

"Kiara was going to kill herself today, but I managed to get through to her and I asked her why she didn't come to me…" Brax told Cheryl, feeling anger surge through him when she didn't react, "She told me what you said, about me not wanting to know and how she'd just end up running our lives."

"It's the truth… Kiara's unstable, Darryl," Cheryl said, "She's like a tornado, she destroys everything in her path and I've tried to warn you."

"Have you ever wondered why Kiara is the way she is?" Brax asked, "Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you're partly to blame?"

"Me?" Cheryl added, looking at Brax surprised and scoffing as she poured herself another drink.

"You were never there for her… for any of us and when you were, you were drunk. Kiara used to love life, she used to be one of the happiest kids I know… but then I moved to Summer Bay and all that changed," Brax replied, "I wish I had seen just how unhappy she was, I should have stayed… but I honestly thought that by me leaving, you would have to finally step up and be a parent."

"I did everything I could," Cheryl argued, causing Brax to laugh, "What's so funny?"

"She's just a kid, a kid that needed someone to be there for her… to listen," Brax stated, "Instead, you made her believe that she had no one and that's what probably triggered her depression."

"A kid I never wanted in the first place," Cheryl said, causing anger to surge through Brax as she carried on talking, "I wanted to get an abortion, but I was too far along to do it… I only kept her for the money."

"It's lucky that she's staying with me then, what was your plan mum… to push her until you destroyed her enough that she'd end it?" Brax inquired, "That is never going to happen… not while I'm around."

X-X-X

"… I only kept her for the money."

Standing outside the door of Cheryl's house, Kiara listened to what was being said and allowed the tears to fall. She had always known that her mum didn't want her, but she had never heard her say it and it hurt to hear.

Walking away, Kiara wandered aimlessly and froze when she found herself at Romeo's door. Hesitantly, she knocked three times and waited until Romeo opened the door.

"Kiara," Romeo whispered, pulling her into his arms as Kiara broke down, "It's okay… I've got you."

"I'm sorry," Kiara mumbled, once she had calmed down and they were sitting in Romeo's room.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I do… you've seen how bad I can get now and I'll understand if you choose to walk away."

"Why would I do that?" Romeo inquired, lifting Kiara's chin and wiping away a stray tear with his thumb, "Yes, I've seen how bad it can get for you and it scared the hell out of me, but it wasn't because of your illness."

"What do you mean?" Kiara added confused.

"When I read the letter you left me, it wasn't your depression that crossed my mind… the one thing that scared me the most was losing you. Looking at you, I don't see your illness… I see you and I will always only see the person that you are."

"I'm scared that I can't escape it… that it will always control me and I'll end up spending most of my life in mental hospitals," Kiara confessed.

"I won't let that happen," Romeo promised, "Your brothers won't let that happen… you have people around you that care and maybe not right away, but eventually it will get easier to deal with everything going on in your head."

"Are you sure you want to stick around?"

"I'm sure," Romeo stated with a smile, leaning forward and ghosting a kiss on her lips, "Let's go get something to eat."

Standing up, Romeo held out his hand and Kiara took it. Entwining their fingers, he led her out the front door and towards the diner, where they sat at an empty table to eat.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**Hey guys! So this chapter is a little short, more of a filler than anything... it's late so if there are any mistakes let me know and I will sort them out. I apologise for disappearing, I lost my nan in March and my motivation to write seemed to vanish for a while... but I'm back now and I'm excited to share the rest of this story with you. Thank you reading and I hope you like it!**_


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